The Asian American Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the scholarship and experiences of Americans, Pacific Islanders, and immigrants to the United States from Asian heritage groups. The program sheds light on Asian American experiences and concerns, both historically and in contemporary society. The certificate in Asian American Studies provides students with an opportunity to develop a sustained intellectual focus on Asian American racial formation, communities, and culture. The program also serves as a teaching and resource center not only for Asian Americans but for the University and Madison community as a whole.
Courses offered by the program and through other departments incorporate the perspective of a variety of disciplines: anthropology, communication arts, cultural studies, dance, education, English, ethnic studies, film, history, human development and family studies, journalism, literature, media, political science, popular culture, psychology, sociology, theatre, and visual arts. New course topics are introduced each year. Examples of past topics include: Asian American History, Asian American Literature, Asian American Women Writers, Asian Americans in the Midwest, Hmong American Studies, Contemporary Legal Issues in Asian American Communities, Mixed Race Asian Americans, Asian American Cultural Politics, Southeast Asian Americans in US Schools, Asian American Dance, Asian Americans & Media, Afro-Asian Improvisational Dance, Psychology of Hmong Americans, and community-based research and service-learning courses.